Colborn’s Corner: Looking back
Quentin Colborn takes a look back at his HR experiences this week and reflects on the situations, good and bad that have helped shape his view of HR. Our current view of HR is often shaped by our experiences in the past. Some of these are funny, some are incredibly exhilarating, and all of them […]
Two thirds get flexible benefits
Almost two thirds of organisations now offer their employees flexible benefits, a new report reveals. The survey by consultancy Hewitt Associates shows an increase in the popularity of flexible benefits and salary sacrifice schemes. Half of UK firms offered flexible packages last year.Martha How, reward consulting team leader at Hewitt Associates, said: “Flexible benefits schemes […]
Women get bigger pay rises than men for tenth year running
Women have received larger pay rises than their male colleagues for the tenth year running and are more likely to get a bonus, but they are still more likely to resign than men. Research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and salary analysts Remuneration Economics shows the highest salary changes for five years; Women's salaries […]
Interims Vs consultants: are the rumours true? By Sarah Fletcher
Some supporters of interim managers claim consultants are more expensive, sell products the business doesn’t need and fail to implement practical, ‘hands on’ solutions. Do consultants agree? By Sarah Fletcher. Many companies that supply interim executives to organisations provide detailed comparisons of the roles of consultant and interim, but although there are obvious similarities – […]
HR contract wins: June to August
Read on to find out who is scooping the major HR contracts this year. McDonald’s Deutschland Inc. selects StepStone for recruitment solutionMcDonald’s Deutschland Inc. has selected StepStone’s i-GRasp recruitment solution to help streamline its recruitment process. The fast food giant has 1,264 restaurants in Germany, which employ 49,000 staff and serve 848 million customers annually. […]
Opinion: Dealing with ‘dead wood’
An Investors in People survey found 75% of bosses and 80% of staff thought some colleagues were “dead wood” – and the main reason was thought to be laziness; Chris Syder Head of Employment at Clarkslegal LLP looks at the issues. Nearly half of employees added they worked closely with someone who they thought was […]
The human capital edge: developing a scorecard
The processes to evaluate, monitor and enhance Human Capital are considered to be something of a new science, a little difficult to interpret and unpredictable; Graham Borley, Practice Head for Change and Strategic HR at Blue Edge Consulting shares his tips on how to produce a working model, the human capital scorecard. Most people think […]
Standard Life says keep on working
Financial services firm Standard Life is scrapping the retirement age for its 8,000 employees in preparation for the age discrimination regulations that come into effect next month.From October its staff will be able to choose when they want to stop work, newspaper reports reveal.Josie Westley, of Standard Life’s staff association, said: “Regardless of age, staff […]
Be a green growther, says TUC
The TUC has launched a ten-step plan to cut energy use and protect the environment at work.UK workplaces and work-related transport produce around two-thirds of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions, more than 66 million tonnes each year, the union claims. A 20 per cent cut in energy would be easy to achieve for many organisations […]
Flying high with talent management?
<img src="/files/siftmedia-photolib/photo_friendship.jpg" ?Talent development specialists don’t care much about average ability; they’re far more interested in retaining, indulging and nurturing their high-flyers. But what’s the secret of keeping the elite on board? Annie Hayes asked HR Zone members to share their tips. Elitist?Can talent be easily identified by a pinstripe suit and a swivel chair? […]
Any Answers: Internal Communications – a function in its own right?
HR Zone recently reported on the findings of a study by the British Association of Communicators in Business claiming that 87% feel internal communications should not be part of HR; we invited Bettina Pickering and Rachael Brassey of PA Consulting Group to present their responses. Whilst we are in agreement with the findings , we […]
HR Tip: Foster parents and flexible working
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: “A woman has requested flexible working hours to enable her to look after a three year old child. However she is only the foster mother. Does she have any entitlement?” A: Yes. […]
£50,000 or failure – what women want
Women consider men earning less than £50,000 a year to be unsuccessful, research suggests.Almost half (45 per cent) of the women surveyed said a significant income was their top priority when looking for a partner.Men are apparently less concerned about their partner’s earnings. Only 22 per cent said a large salary was their top priority […]
Government HR failures reinstate fired staff
Government HR departments are failing to follow statutory dismissal procedures, meaning increasing numbers of civil servants are being let off dismissal, an official report reveals.Over one fifth of all disciplinary cases involving appeals during 2005-06 were judged ‘unfair’, the report by the Civil Service Appeal Board (CSAB) says. This is an increase of 15 per […]
Worker injuries twice as likely in large companies
Workers in larger companies are twice as likely to be injured at work compared to their counterparts in smaller companies.New research from insurance giant Axa reveals that around a tenth of the workforce has been injured in the workplace over the past five years.Companies with less than 250 employees had a better workplace injury record […]
Flexible work: The ‘how’ not the ‘why’
Parents of children under six or disabled children under the age of eighteen have the right to apply to their employer to work more flexibly but what about people without kids? Carol Savage, founder of flexible work specialists Flexworks (formerly Flexecutive), argues that you can get better results, and less peer resentment, by recognising that […]
Pregnancy: ‘More rights than a protected panda’? By Sarah Fletcher
“More legal rights than a protected species panda bear” is how one senior HR advisor describes the attitude of business towards pregnant employees. Is the increase in statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay in April this year from £106 to £108.85 per week a suitable provision for new parents or does it reflect a general […]
Equality commissions fail to bite
A damning new report reveals the three government equality commissioners have made no use of five of their ten powers and little use of the remainder.And the Public Interest Research Unit, which produced the report: Teeth and their use – enforcement action by the three equality commissions, says matters are likely to get worse under […]
Employer lobbying could reduce pensions for one in six
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) claims that lobbying by employers could see a sixth of the workforce lose pension contributions.The Government’s Pensions White Paper backed the Turner Commission’s proposal that employers should pay three per cent of an employee’s wage into a National Pensions Savings Scheme unless the employee opts out, despite opposition from many […]
What’s the answer? Old grievances
Emma Paish gets legal guidance this week from Helen Badger, employment law expert, Browne Jacobson and Martin Brewer, a Partner with the employment team of Mills & Reeve on managing a grievance dating back three years. The question:An employee during his disciplinary has also lodged a grievance. (He has since been dismissed and is appealing […]
